How to Unclog Drains Without Chemicals

Learn how to unclog drains without chemicals, unclogging drains is easier than you think, and you don’t need expensive tools to get the job done. In fact, some of the most common clogs can be removed without using any tools at all. Read about these simple techniques so you’re prepared the next time you have a clogged sink, tub or toilet.

Stop using harsh chemical cleaning products in your house and replace them with these natural cleani...

How to unclog drains without chemicals. Use these simple, reliable methods to clear your drains and say goodbye to plumbing bills!

How to Unclog Drains Without Chemicals

Drains are hidden heroes in your home. If you’re lucky, you can go for years without thinking about them, but when dirty sink water suddenly won’t go away or a toilet won’t flush, they can be a major frustration. A plugged drain certainly demands attention, but fixing it is probably something you can do yourself. You’ll get faster results than calling a pro, and you’ll save money, too.

Successfully unclogging drains depends on a few simple tools and knowledge of the layout of pipes hidden in your home.

Each drain connects with horizontal pipes that meet a vertical section of the system called the “stack.” The top of the stack goes through the roof, and acts as an air vent. The horizontal pipes travel down and out of your home, taking wastewater with them. Poor drain performance can be caused by problems in either the drain side of the equation or sometimes, the vent side. Even if water is free to flow through pipes, for proper performance the water must be replaced by air drawn into the system through the rooftop vent.

Certain parts of every drain system are prone to blockage, so it pays to understand where typical trouble zones might exist before an emergency arises.

Three Hotspots for Drain Clogs

Plugged drains are most likely to occur in three specific places: curved sections of pipes called “traps” that exist underneath sinks, tubs and showers; the internal passages within a toilet; or somewhere inside the main drainpipe leading away from your home.

Before you spend a lot of time trying to unplug a sink or toilet, and regardless of where the blockage seems to be located, start with a simple check: Run some water down the other drains in your house. Do the others flow freely? If not, your trouble probably involves more than meets the eye and could actually be part of a systemic problem.

Before you try to clear what looks like a small, localized blockage, take a quick look at the big picture. You’ll either know you’re on the right track or save yourself from wasting time trying to solve the wrong problem.

Sink, Tub or Shower Drains

The most likely spot for a sink drain to clog is about 6 inches below the drain opening in a section of curved pipe called the trap. It’s an essential feature of every drain, but potentially troublesome, too. Traps keep nasty (and lethal) sewer gases from wafting up into your home by retaining small amounts of water in the U-shaped bottom section. This water seals the pipe opening so gases can’t sneak past. Curves of any sort in a drainpipe, especially as tight as those in a trap, encourage blockages. This is where the vast majority of sink, tub and shower blockages occur.

A blocked sink makes many people reach for a bottle of drain cleaner — but wait! Drain cleaning liquids are corrosive chemicals that work by dissolving the stuff that’s causing the blockage — hair, fat or built-up unidentifiable gunk. The problem is that any chemical has to be extraordinarily powerful to eat away any significant amount of this stuff, especially when the chemicals are diluted in a sink full of dirty water. Some drain cleaners are potent enough to make a superficial difference, but if they do, the blockage was probably minor in the first place.

It’s easy to eliminate the trouble using mechanical methods that don’t endanger the finish on your sink, your health or the environment. And what happens if you try a powerful drain cleaner only to find that it doesn’t work? Now you’ve got a caustic cocktail of chemicals in the sink that could cause damage as it splashes or drains out while you use other methods to clear the problem.

Instead of using chemicals, start by removing any strainer that might be part of the drain plug, then reach into the drain with your fingers and pull out any solids. This is not fun, but it’s often highly effective. If this doesn’t succeed, you need a sink plunger.

A sink plunger has a smooth bottom surface, as opposed to the extended lip that you’ll find on toilet plungers. With 2 or 3 inches of water in the sink to form a seal around the plunger, give the handle a few gentle pushes down and up. You’ll probably have to push harder and sharper to clear the blockage, but start gently to minimize splashes of water that could cascade out of the sink. If you’re successful, the dirty water will disappear quickly, often with a satisfying whoosh.

Is your drain still blocked? Now is the time to work under the sink. Chances are still good that the blockage is in the trap. Grab a bucket that’s as large as you can fit underneath the trap.

If your trap is the type with a drain plug at the bottom, remove it using a pair of slip-joint pliers. If it’s a drain-free trap (most are), use a pipe wrench to undo the threaded collars that hold the trap together. You’ll most likely be rewarded with a satisfying gush of gunky water as you remove the parts. If not, it’s time to dig deeper. Poke a flexible wire up into the drainpipe to loosen any offending gunk. Simple trap surgery of this kind usually solves the problem. If not, then the cause is further down the line.

Your last DIY option involves a drain snake. A drain snake (also known as a drain auger) is a long, flexible, metal device that bends around corners as you push it into a plugged drain.

Push the snake down the clogged pipe. When you hit an obstruction, turn the crank handle and the snake chews its way through. Basic snakes cost less than $50 and extend about 12 feet. You can rent longer professional models, both manually operated and those connected to an electric drill.

If the blockage isn’t near enough to the sink to reach with a snake, look for other places to gain entry to the pipe. Building codes require that drain systems include clean-out ports at strategic locations. Unscrew the cover to gain access to pipes for augering.

Clearing a Toilet

Although the pipe leading from a toilet doesn’t have a trap, the internal passages of the toilet act as a trap by holding water in the bottom of the bowl. These passages are usually where toilets get plugged.

Start by filling the bowl with enough water to seal around the rim of a toilet plunger. Put it in place over the opening in the bottom of the bowl, then work the plunger up and down. Go gently at first, there’s no point in sloshing filthy water around if a light touch will do the trick. Work up to a more aggressive pace if gentle plunges don’t work. If this doesn’t work and you have the option to wait, let the plugged toilet sit overnight. This sometimes softens the blockage, allowing the plunger to work even though it wouldn’t earlier.

If the blockage can’t be dislodged by a plunger, reach for a toilet snake, which is like an ordinary drain snake except it’s covered in protective rubber to prevent scratches to the toilet bowl finish. If all these options fail, then it’s possible the blockage exists past the toilet. Shut off the water supply to the toilet, drain the tank, remove the nuts that hold the toilet to the floor and lift the toilet. The large pipe at floor level offers a good place to work a drain snake down to dislodge the blockage.

Is your toilet a chronically slow flusher? There are several possible causes other than a partial blockage. Your toilet could be old, it could be bad or it could be both. Mineral deposits accumulating within passages of high mileage toilets often reduce flushing action significantly after 20 or 30 years of operation. Toilet replacement is the solution. Just be sure to install a low-flow model that has a proven track record of good performance. (You can download the test results from Veritec Consulting for all the details.) The first generation of low-flow toilets never flushed properly, even when they were new. Your lazy flusher could be bad by design.

A blocked vent stack can also cause poor flushing because it fosters a temporary vacuum within the drainpipes. If fresh air isn’t allowed to replace the volume of water that moves through the pipe after a flush, then slow, ineffective action is the result. Code-compliant, plastic vent stacks rarely get plugged, but the old galvanized-metal stacks found in some homes grow progressively more plugged with rust as time passes. Eventually they close up. Try ramming a steel rod down the vent pipe from above. (You’ll need to get on the roof to do this.) Any blockage will be obvious.

If plunging or vent work doesn’t solve your toilet problem, then you’ve got two options. You can call a plumber who can use a power snake to auger out the drain, or you can rent a snake and do the job yourself. Either way, rest assured that you’ve got a serious blockage that would give anyone trouble.

Relieving Main Drain Pain

If your original quick test revealed chronic clogs house-wide, or if you’ve noticed that your drains are getting slower and your house is connected to a septic system, the whole thing might be backed up. Leaching beds eventually fail because they get plugged with various material (fibers in laundry wastewater, etc.) and can’t leach any more. If this happens, the main drain leading from your house fills completely with water, causing all drains to stop and back up. Blockages in drainpipes leading underground to municipal sewage systems can also cause problems that may first appear in household drains.

If you trace your troubles to a main drain blockage, there are three typical causes. Tree roots may have penetrated older style pipes, leading to reduced flow or complete blockage. Soap sediment could also have hardened within a dip in the pipe. Occasionally main drains also collapse due to shifting soil or compaction, though this is rare.

Plumbing codes require a clean-out port to be located in the main drain just before it leaves your house. As you open this, be prepared for a flood. If the main drain is blocked, it could be holding back significant water in the pipes of your home. Get ready to catch it with tubs, garbage cans or several large buckets.

With the main cleanout open, start work by feeding a manual or power-driven drain snake into the pipe to see if it will clear the blockage. Main drains can be quite long, so make sure you’re properly equipped. If you find that soap sediment was the cause, consider switching to a liquid laundry detergent. They don’t settle out like laundry powders sometimes do in the stagnant dips present in some main drains.

There’s nothing fun about unclogging a drain, except for the feeling of success when you’re done. You’ll be satisfied to know you saved time and money, and confident you’ll be able to handle the next clog.

The Problem with Garbage Disposals

You may want to think twice about installing or using an in-sink garbage disposal in your kitchen. Garbage disposals operate by chopping up food waste and washing it down the drain, but there are three reasons why you shouldn’t do this.

The first has to do with closing the nutrient loop. The organic matter that enters your home should be returned to your soil where it can enhance plant growth. Diverting vegetable scraps into a household compost bin is a better option than sending scraps and peelings down a garbage disposal.

The second reason is the issue of sewage overload. Whether your house is hooked up to a septic system or a municipal sanitary sewer, the added strain of the organic matter from a garbage disposal really adds up. All that extra material was never meant to be dealt with in wastewater.

And third, sending chopped food waste down the drain increases the odds your pipes will become clogged!

The Truth about Septic Tank Additives

Every so often I get a phone call from a friendly telemarketer offering an additive that promises to save money by eliminating the need to have my septic system pumped out. There are many similar products that promise wonderful, hidden benefits for the microbes living in a septic system, too. In all cases, I smile and say, “No, thanks.” I know how a septic system works, and no additive is going to improve things or rectify problems.

Your septic system is nothing but a tank connected to perforated pipes buried in the ground. As long as normal sewage goes in and the effluent is free to drain out of the perforations in the pipes, your septic system will work just fine. Regular pump-outs are necessary because a small portion of sewage entering the tank is always indigestible. As it settles to the bottom of the tank in the form of sludge, it slowly reduces tank capacity. This is the reason septic systems need to be pumped out every two or three years. No additive can make insoluble things soluble, and it’ll lead to trouble if you think otherwise. If you follow the advice of the folks who tell you that pump-outs can be eliminated, you’ll have sludge washing into your perforated pipes, clogging them and ruining your septic system’s drain field.

Steve Maxwell is tough on clogs, but has a reputation as an extremely nice guy.

Contributing Editor Steve Maxwellhas been helping people renovate, build and maintain their homes for more than two decades. “Canada’s Handiest Man” is an award-winning home improvement authority and woodworking expert. Contact him by visiting his website and the blog, Maxwell’s House. You also can follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebookand find him on Google+.

Looking for a product that will unclog your drain? Try Drain-FX. It's a revolutionary DIY plumbing tool that turns your average faucet into a high pressure drain cleaner. Drain-FX is available for purchase at your local Home Depot, see in store for more details. Or you can purchase online at drain-fx.com

JacksonTyler

4/14/2015 8:39:05 PM

Drain cleaning such a tedious but necessary task. Many people try throwing harsh chemicals down their drain, but if there is a total blockage, this can cause more problems than it solves. By learning how to remove blockages and then gently cleaning the drain, it's possible to not have any adverse effects on the environment, your home, or your skin. http://www.royaltrooter.com

Cris Marti

12/1/2014 2:17:28 AM

Great post! This was extremely helpful and informative. Thank you for sharing.
www.draintecmidlandsltd.co.uk

Has anyone used this tool called DRAIN-FX? Does it have enough pressure to clear the clog?

Jack

4/1/2014 4:38:17 PM

Hi, I found this video that helped me a lot to unclog my bathtub without chemicals. A good trick to know, that may probably help you too : http://youtu.be/8xE26WWaYiQ

Anabell Jones

12/18/2013 10:33:38 AM

Acid is the best way to unclog drains provided there are no toxic chemical used in it. It will definitely save you from a number of headaches while cleaning the drain quickly. http://www.expressplumbing.com.au/maintenance/ cost will also reduce as a result of it.

Susannah

11/15/2013 12:52:52 PM

I built a non toxic cleaning service I ran for over a decade teaching many how to clean all kinds of issues using recipes I created. For drains I found 3 easy and inexpensive solutions to problems around getting it clean.
1)Kitchen: invest in one of those metal screens, or make one; they catch it all.
2)Kitchen and bathroom sinks/tubs/shower drains: Using ratio of one to 2 essentially, put in a cup of baking soda on top of the clogged drain, pour about 2 cups of white vinegar on top and watch the show of foaming (non toxic of course), then come back in half an hour to an hour with a kettle of boiling water and pour that on top to wash it all away.
3)I found a great product a couple of years ago. I am not much of a capitalist, but this is actually made in America, inexpensive ($4.00?)and does what it says it will. It's called "Zip-It", has sharp thorn like things on each side of a long plastic stick. It's flexible and strong and bends with the curves of pipes. Stick it in and pull it out; simple!

holler19

11/13/2013 7:46:11 AM

The article leaves out one major problem with using a plunger in a sink or tub: the overflow opening. This connects to the drain and makes it impossible to get any suction or pressure in the drain. I have tried using a wet washcloth to plug the hole but have had mixed results. Any ideas?

jameel.johnson.777

7/16/2013 4:47:42 PM

Clogs are always a pain to fix. I rember one time I had a toy triangle stuck in our bathtub drain. It took me a full 4 hours to fish it out. I have been doing <a href="http://www.americasserviceplumber.com/Sewer_drain.html">drain repair in Dallas, TX</a> and the humidity doesn't help either. Hopefully these tips will help teach me the errors of my ways.

emily2fish

6/12/2013 12:04:55 PM

Also - meant to add that it doesn't scratch anything, since it's plastic. Big plus.

emily2fish

6/12/2013 12:03:14 PM

My favorite "snake" tool for the drain is a 3' long flexible plastic rod (it probably has a real name, can't remember what it is though) with a handle on one end and some small bristles on the other. Cheap from the hardware store. Wouldn't work for big problems (i.e. blocked sewer line) requiring a long cable 'snake,' but I can almost always clear the sink drain without even having to remove the stopper - the plastic rod will fit past it down into the trap, and the bristles grab whatever is stuck in a couple passes.

kahalla

6/12/2013 8:15:10 AM

For pulling hair out of tub and shower sink I always use a bicyvles spoke. Its bended head is big enough to take up a lot of hair and small enough to fit into the holes of any sink, you may fix them to the Spoke by turning it around twice or more und you may pull a lot of hair out of the pipe. Its safe, its handy and its reusable and you can store it almost unseen near its "working place" until the day you need it again.

kahalla

6/12/2013 8:14:42 AM

For pulling hair out of tub and shower sink I always use a bicyvles spoke. Its bended head is big enough to take up a lot of hair and small enough to fit into the holes of any sink, you may fix them to the Spoke by turning it around twice or more und you may pull a lot of hair out of the pipe. Its safe, its handy and its reusable and you can store it almost unseen near its "working place" until the day you need it again.

JACY ELSESSER

2/16/2012 6:03:46 PM

For slow bath drains because of hair, check out The Drain Claw at www.thedrainclaw.com. You can keep your bath drains open without dangerous chemicals.

Mary_4

7/14/2010 9:15:50 AM

Pour 1/2 cup white vinegar & 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain, plug off drain and let it work for 15-30 minutes, then flush with hot water. The vinegar and soda form a non-caustic reaction that clears the drain but you need to do this when you first notice it getting slow, not when it's completely plugged. Never, never use chemicals! Chemicals can eat right through old, weak drain lines and you could end up with a major repair on your hands. I know, we own a plumbing company! You can also try what we call a "blow bag" which are available at the hardware store. It's a rubber balloon that attaches to a garden hose. You put it in the drain and turn on the water, it opens the drain with water pressure. But use caution as this can blow an old, weak line apart too.

Paul D._2

3/18/2010 6:45:01 AM

If you've got a gas or electric pressure washer you might be able to clear your clogged main drain faster with a 50- or 100-foot sewer jetter attachment. A sewer jetter can require less physical effort than an electric drain snake because a jetter uses the force of pressurized water to pull itself through the drain, scrub the sides of dirty pipes, break apart clogs, and flush our residue. You can find tips for building or buying a sewer jetter attachment on websites like www.SewerJetGazette.net.

Google Surfer

3/1/2009 1:10:51 PM

Joe> To remove the foot press drain cover, hold on to the base and unscrew the little nob on top with your other hand. Under there is a slot for a screw driver (I just used a toe nail clipper in the slot w/ a tweezer crossways for torque). Unscrew that, and there is a catch only about 1-2 inches into the drain that is probably clogged with hair and gunk.
I'm in a dorm and didn't want maintenance to scold me for trimming my hair in the shower so this is how I spent my morning.. ^_^'

tnaylort

10/30/2008 1:59:25 PM

Thanks for the advice about additives. I just finished reading somewhere else that they were a good idea.
I tried the baking soda/vinegar solution but ended up having to remove "the trap" ( http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/plumbing/plumbing-maintenance-unclogging.php). Ah, the joys of being a first time home owner! Long story, but I found out my last tub was painted when the landlord used a snake and scratched the finish off. I didn't know people did that until that happened.

larry_6

10/17/2008 11:50:57 PM

I recently cleared my bathroom drains with a wet/dry shop vac. I got an apple sized glob of hair out. I'm not sure how your particular foot press works but many just unscrew counterclockwise. Your clog may even just be on the bottom of that drain cover and you might get it with your fingers once the cover is off.

Jim Strotman

10/16/2008 12:14:12 PM

30% Hydrogen Peroxide with a glug of baking soda is my first action which in most cases does the job. It's explosive so stand back. I do that at bed time and in the morning, my drains are as clear as a drunks throat. And it's cheap, clean, and no trouble.

tony_21

2/12/2008 7:48:12 PM

you would not believe the amount of hair caught ina drain,
especially if you have daughters! Make yourself a little hook out
of soft wire and fish the hair out of the shower drain, same in the
outside drain next to the wall of the house. Liquids never block
drains - it's the solids like fats and hair that do the
damage.

Joe_32

1/6/2008 5:14:23 AM

Trying to unclog my tub. Use a snake through the overflow and
removed a large glob of hair but still a slow drain. Plunger did
not work at the foot press open and close drain. However water
poured down the overflow doesn't back up! Gonna try the wet/dry vac
at the drain. How do i remove the foot press drain cover to get at
the clog?

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

MOTHER EARTH NEWS is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. MOTHER EARTH NEWS helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At MOTHER EARTH NEWS, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $5 and get 6 issues of MOTHER EARTH NEWS for only $12.00 (USA only).